Floating Baitfish
By Lee Soares (lee s), CA

This is another slight embellishment to a Lefty's
Deciever that we use to make it a top-water bug.
We have merely changed the bucktail collar to a
collar of spun deer hair and changed the solid
plastic eyes to hollow doll eyes. It has proven
very useful for pestering anything munching food
fish on the top, especially in the fall. Our local
Largemouth and Stripers can often be persuaded to
join in "the dance" with one of''em.

Materials for the Floating Baitfish:

hackle
silver flashabou
pearl flashabou
pearl krystalflash
There are some other flashy materials
out there that can well be used in place
of the last three.
head cement....we like Sally Hansen's Hard
as Nails as we sometimes dab after each step.
white thread
hot pink thread
hooks....our fav is Tiemco 8089. Light wire
for primarily easier penetration, and also
it might enhance floatation (?).
shoe goop (a thick cement)
hollow doll eyes
red spinning hair
white spinning hair
bucktail
single strand SS trolling wire 27# or better...
our absolute favorite weed guard. Every thing
else works until you NEED a weed guard and we
very often do. As a matter of fact, we almost
ALWAYS do when we chase LM's.

Method for the Floating Baitfish:

1. Put the hook in the vise and start the thread at the bend.

2. Tie in some bucktail at the bend to start the tail.

3. Add a bit of krystal flash.

4. Add some pearl flashabou.

5. And some silver flashabou.

6. Several hackles seem to look good along each side.

7. Then spin some of the collar with white hair.

8. And finish it with some red hair.

9. Now make it a head by trimming it to the shape you want.

10. Add doll eyes. We like to use a spot of SHHN
for hair penetration on the head and goop on the
back of the eye.

11. Fold a piece of SS wire in half and insert
it UP through the eye of the hook and tie it off.
The fold should touch the hook at the bend.

12. Fold the remnant two strands of wire over
the top of the hook and tie down and trim the
wire. Put a bend in the wire about 1/8" from
the fold.